Daijiworld Media Network - Panaji

Panaji, Apr 17: Suresh Prabhu, Union Minister of Commerce and Industry, said on Tuesday that as part of promoting export activities in the state, the central government encouraged various companies in China, Korea and Japan to set up marine product processing plants in Goa. He also assured that the Union government is committed to solve the mining issue as soon as possible.

Speaking to TOI reporters, Prabhu said, “The (mining) solution can be legal, administrative, legislative — we will look into all possible aspects and the new government will do it by working with the local (state) government.” Prabhu told reporters that the development of Goa should benefit the people of the state first. He also added Goa is dependent on three things — mining, tourism and fisheries — and that the government would like to develop these sectors in the most sustainable way.

As reported in TOI, he said that mining can be done in a manner that does not compromise with the environment and that eco-tourism could be promoted in a way that does not create an adverse footprint on the ecology of Goa.

“We already proposed to Japanese, Korean and Chinese companies that they should set up processing plants in Goa so that value addition of marine product exports can happen in Goa,” he said.

The minister also said that the government is looking at startups to boost Goa’s economy. “We will hold a startup festival every year in Goa, in which top players come and add jobs,” he said. “We do not want to develop Goa in a way which does not benefit Goans.”